Ramah’s Grades 1 & 2

Who said that being a First or Second-grader was easy? Well in case you have forgotten, it’s a WHOLE lot of hard work. Learning new sight words, math fundamentals, and all the other subjects is not for the faint of heart. But learning IS a whole lot more fun in Mrs. Giles’ room.

Welcome to Room 105! Besides the kids, you take instant notice that this is a technology-driven classroom, for in it lies a 44-inch flat screen TV, 10 computers, and 5 Nook e-readers, a SmartTable, and a SmartBoard (all Ramah classrooms have Smartboards, by the way). This colorfully clad room has learning centers– specific areas for hands-on experiences. But while you’re there, watch out for the crocodile staring down at you from above. Or go hide in the corner tree house, build especially for kids who want a cozy place to read.

Especially interesting to me is Mrs. Giles’ unique and creative way of bringing the Bible to life. Just a few weeks ago, the students dressed up in Bible costumes and entered the “blood-stained” doorposts as did the Israelites during Passover.

Giles’ students feasted on unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and fruit, reminiscent of the children of Israel’s feast. This is just ONE of the many things students have had fun doing while learning at the same time. With experiences like these, children are guaranteed to have miles of smiles with Mrs. Giles!

For enrollment information, please contact Kevin Cameron or Diane Crider at (216) 581-2626. Tuition is FREE for eligible families! Next week we’ll step into Ramah’s Grade 3 and 4 classrooms.

-Janviere Lavender

On behalf of the Southeast Community Outreach Team, We want to thank you for your help with the Ward 1 Clean up Day on April 12, 2012. The event was a huge success, in no small part due to Southeast members, our students, and Ramah Junior Academy assistance. The Volunteers made an impressive sight on Lee Road and Tarkington. It was definitely a good day and turn out! Thank you again for stepping up and getting involved. We really appreciated having you there!

Tawanna Norton, Community Outreach Director 

Elliott Meredith III who, on April 11, signed a 4 year basketball scholarship with Washington Adventist University located in Takoma Park, Maryland. Having previously attended CSU as an Engineering major, Elliott has chosen to pursue a Bachelor’s in Science to establish a career as a Physician’s Assistant and is employed by Fresenius Medical Care as a dialysis technician.

He is very active in the church, as aDeacon, plays on the Southeast Varsity Basketball team (Third year conference champions), sings in multiple choirs/groups, lead actor in multiple plays with Mirage Production and participates in the “Meals On Wheels” homeless feeding ministry at the City Mission. Elliott has also recently been lead to write and produce music with a local artist; their first CD is due to be released by the end of 2012. May God continue to bless you!

Click here to read the full Oasis In A Food Desert Article

The Southeast church in Cleveland is situated in the middle of a desert. Not sun-baked land surrounded by windswept sand dunes, but in an urban area now commonly referred to as a “food desert” – where grocery stores are few, and those with good quality fruits and vegetables are even fewer. And organic produce? Not a chance – until now.

DIGGING IN – Making food available to those in need is a familiar notion to members leading Southeast’s Community Services Department. The Allegheny West congregation started enthusiastically serving local residents through their Food Bank program 25 years ago. So, when a representative for the city’s Ward 1 Community Health Initiative (CHI) approached them in early 2010 to start a community garden project, they believed the two would go hand in hand—and just happened to fit nicely into Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative.

John Reynolds, a longtime Southeast member, was at that meeting with CHI, “I had the audacity to open up my mouth and ask the question, “How would something like this get started”? he remembers. “And the rest, as they say, is history!”

READY TO ROLL – Eighty-seven years young, Gertrude Dunham, a Southeast elder and stewardship committee member, is particularly passionate about her garden plot. Despite a disability, Dunham “rolls around” on her stool to tend to her various veggies.

BOUNTIFUL GIVING – Carol Boddy, CHI program  coordinator for Ward 1, is impressed with the generosity of Southeast’s gardeners. “Southeast takes approximately 40 percent of its food and gives it back to the community,” she stresses. Last year, Ward 1 recognized the church’s generosity with an aware for donating 700 pounds of produce over a two-year period through their Food Bank.

These are excerpts from a 4 page article featured in the Columbia Visitor, April 2012, Volume 117, Issue 4 on the Southeast’s Community Garden.

The Council of the City of Cleveland, is sincerely pleased to recognize Southeast Seventh-day Adventist Church on this special occasion of your participation in Ward 1 Community Service Day. You have shown outstanding commitment, dedication, and investment in the City of Cleveland, and in particular, the Ward 1 Community. This council applauds your outstanding efforts and extends best wishes for much continued success in the future.

Terrill H. Pruitt, Council Member Ward-1

Come to the school on any day and you’ll find a number of five-and six-year olds busy at work. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, these youngsters are soaking it all in—numbers, alphabets, Bible verses—you name it! Ramah’s Kindergarten class is filled with sixteen eager learners who each have unique personalities of their own. Speaking of unique, something that stands out most to me is their teacher, Ms. Juanita Burris. She is most affectionately known as “Miss B”. She’s got super personality! She bubbly! She’s laid back! She’s super friendly! She’s known as being a giver, generous in every way imaginable. She has a genuine love for children and can be spotted carrying the weak, hugging the lonely, or consoling the teary-eyed on a regular basis. Miss B is exactly what these precious little ones need. Combine that with the skill and patience needed to lay a strong academic foundation and you have the best Kindergarten program a parent could hope for.

Stay tuned for a peek into Grades 1 and 2.        

–Janviere Lavender

Princeton Riley Meredith who was inducted into the National Honor Society on Mar 29th. He is now an 11th grader at Bedford Heights High school and has done an excellent job in maintaining a 3.8 GPA for the past 3 years. Princeton is very active in the church as a Junior Deacon, plays on the Junior Varsity Basketball Team and participates in “Meals On Wheels” a homeless feeding ministry at the City Mission. Praise the Lord! Keep up the good work Princeton.

Congratulations ONCE AGAIN to the Southeast Tigers for pulling off another grand championship! Saturday evening, March 31st, all three of our teams proved their fierceness in the Northern Division playoffs. Our Pee Wee Tigers played hard and came in as First Runners Up. Our JV and Varsity teams moved on to the championship games and on Sunday April 1, they beat out all other teams bringing us home the First Place trophies. Way to go TIGERS!                 

-Janviere Lavender

Ramah’s 3 to 5-year olds are the early birds of the school. These tiny Preschoolers start their day at 6:30 in the morning, trickling in a few at a time. If you were to walk into the K-8 building you would see them sitting with a teacher in the foyer greeting you with a happy smile. They sit to wait for the others to arrive and they learn how to greet incomers with a friendly “Good Morning!” They eat their breakfast in the Gym/Cafeteria and then they head off to the back where their classroom, a two-room trailer, is housed. When you walk into the Preschooler rooms, your mind takes you back to your own childhood where toys and games deck the shelves. Wooden blocks and crayons are sprawled out on tables as eager children build and create imagination masterpieces. The environment is definitely family oriented and child-friendly. The children are not shy about complimenting your hairstyle, asking you to tie their shoestrings, or even grab at your camera when you stop in to take pictures.

I asked the teachers what a typical day is like. Mornings begin with a little talk with Jesus as children sing, pray, and learn about their Creator.Circle time is a time when students can learn their colors, numbers, days of the week, and months of the year. They learn about the world through their play and through hands-on experiences.  

And of course all of this takes energy, so once they are fueled with a healthy, vegetarian-based lunch, down they go for their daily nap. Ahhhhh! Peace and quiet—a time for teachers to get a much needed break and regroup for the next go-round. After all, their days end late–six o’clock in the evening, to be exact. Finally the last tiny tot goes home and “Whew”—it’s over!

What a lovely bunch for a lovely learning environment. Know someone looking to enroll their child in a safe, loving program?  Consider Ramah’s Preschool. Contact Mary Conwell (216-581-9127 or 216-581-2626) or drop in and pick up an application. Tuition is FREE for eligible families! Hurry, the deadlines for tuition assistance for all grades is April 15^th. Coming up next week, a visit to Ramah’s Kindergarten Classroom!

-Janviere M. Lavender

Residents were invited to join Councilman Terrell H. Pruitt at the Southeast Seventh-Day Adventist Church at 5:30 pm on Wed, March 21st for the first in a series of iMpacT Wednesday for the Ward 1 Community.

Mr. Pruitt discussed Cleveland’s redevelopment of the Lee and Miles intersection and the continuing development of Kerruish Park. He also spoke about neighborhood improvement and other topics of interest to the Ward 1 Community. Residents asked questions, expressed concerns and ideas in this open forum to meet the Councilman and get more involved with their Community.

Councilman Pruitt was first elected to the Cleveland City Council in 2005 in a special election and re-elected in 2009 and is eligible to run for an additional term in 2013. He is the only Cleveland City Council member that is a Captain in the Ohio Army National Guard. Pruitt takes great pride in representing Ward 1.

According to Councilmen Pruitt “His vision for the Ward 1 Community includes the fulfillment of the Ward 1 commercial district master plan. He also hopes to redevelop vacant and abandoned homes in the community and preserve Ward 1’s prime housing stock. Above all, Councilman Pruitt plans to maintain a safe and clean community while providing Ward 1 residents with the highest level of constituent services.”

Tawanna Norton, Community Outreach Director